


what's the move

by badbadnotgood



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, M/M, brief mention of death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-09 11:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20852453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badbadnotgood/pseuds/badbadnotgood
Summary: The alternate universe where Dan actually enjoyed University and made it to third year, though he still had a YouTube channel and a Phil.





	what's the move

Phil gets a text from Dan at 9:58am reading _i’m coming over it’s chaos_

Phil had dragged himself out of bed exclusively to piss but now that Dan had decided to make a surprise visit, he was definitely awake. See, the first semester of Dan’s third year was underway and he’d made a point to Phil of ‘shitting his pants’ when he found out the amount of reading and independent study that year three had in store. Phil can sympathise, but he also takes it with a grain of salt because Dan managed to finish second year with a high 2:1, even after insisting multiple times that he couldn’t do it and he should have dropped out when he had the chance.

Phil’s very familiar with third year and the stress and workload that bogs students down, but everyone’s in the same boat and Phil knows that Dan works better when he knows other people are in his situation and there’s light at the end of the grimy student halls, or whatever.

He makes a quick stop to the corner shop and the Costa a bit further into town for Dan’s visitation supplies. He’s managed to time it perfectly so he can get home with the hot drinks just as Dan arrives so they don’t have chance to cool. It’s an easy system to remember considering the amount of taxis Dan’s taken to Phil’s flat over the years.

Sure enough, Dan rolls in just as Phil’s kicking his shoes off and flops onto the sofa like deadweight. He’s wearing his UoM hoodie with skinny jeans and his curls are starting to come through his straightened hair. He looks really cute and soft, like every day.

Phil sits down and manoeuvres Dan so he’s sprawled over his lap. “Ouch, the depression hoodie is out already. Fun morning?”

Phil gets a smile out of him. “It’s the first day and I’m feeling like a meltdown is coming.”

Phil can relate. The first lecture back is always daunting because you feel like you’ve forgotten everything you’ve ever read, and the amazing summer the two of them just shared together was enough to wipe Dan’s brain clean of any Law lecture, probably.

“Right,” Phil says. “Have you taken your antidepressants today? Because if not, I’m withholding your caramel mocha.”

“You’d know about it if I didn’t,” Dan says, reaching out for the coffee. “I’d be laid on your carpet in the foetal position, having skipped my lecture.”

Phil hands him the drink. “Why are you here already? Don’t you have lectures for the day? Or a seminar?”

Dan grins, but it’s more of a horrified one. “At our welcome talk they told us this year is about independent study, and they weren’t joking. That 9am was my only timetabled session for today, so now I’m awake and fearing for my life.”

“Have you started reading and researching for your diss yet?” Phil asks politely, sipping his coffee.

Dan looks at him, appalled. “Do you mind?”

“Sorry,” Phil laughs, “are you still doing it on manslaughter charges or something like that?”

Dan doesn’t look convinced, but then if you ask most people about their dissertations they tend not to have an enthusiastic speech prepared. “I think so? Definitely in the criminal law field, since that’s genuinely interesting in terms of research. I should definitely have my question sorted at this point, and I don’t. Oh god.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it yet,” Phil reassures him. “Or, I would, since it’s you, and worrying keeps you sane.”

“I know, I’m just ready to get Uni out of the way so we can move in together and actually start our life. The idea of writing my CV for grad jobs is absolutely vomitory, but it’s nice to look forward to a future rather than find comfort in death being a thing.”

Phil plants a kiss on his forehead. It makes him quite emotional seeing how far Dan’s come and the kind of person he’s grown to become. He’s at a point where he believes in his abilities, and he likes to thank Phil for that, but Phil can’t take the credit.

“Have you thought about going back to YouTube? Not yet, obviously, but I can tell your heart’s still there, and we both know first-hand that there’s steady income in it.”

Phil can _feel_ Dan grimace. “Think my family would collectively disown me if I spent three years doing a Law degree only to earn a living making internet videos.”

“I mean, there’s the scenario where you take up a mundane office job for the rest of your life and your entire personality goes to waste, or there’s the scenario where you do what you want, make entertaining videos and get to a point where you can make a living from that.”

Dan stares blankly at him. “There’s absolutely no guarantee of me being able to live off YouTube, Phil.”

“Have you met you?! People loved the odd videos you posted here-and-there years back, and they love you on my channel. The seeds are already planted, Dan. I’m not telling you what to do with your life, but I know you well enough to tell you that you enjoy Uni for the theoretical learning side of it, not for the fact that it’ll thrust you into a job that’ll bore you to tears.”

Dan doesn’t say anything for a while, and Phil’s starting to think that maybe he should keep his mouth shut sometimes. Phil’s relieved when he speaks. “You’re telling me I’m going to be fifty-seven grand in debt because I enjoy a bit of education?”

“Er, yes.”

Dan sits up from his lap and flicks him on the ear. “Phil! You’ve disrupted my whole life! Of course I want to bloody make funny videos and entertain people and not wear a fucking suit to work every day to work alongside forty-year-old divorced men, but you didn’t have to tell me that!”

“It’s just a thought, don’t bite my head off.”

“I’ll bite your head off and have it on a stick, Phil Lester. How dare you tell me what I already knew.”

“I mean, didn’t Jenna Marbles get a degree or whatever but ultimately have a YouTube career? Aw, you can be just like her.”

Dan rolls his eyes. “We’ll see how this year goes. I know you’d love a husband who wears suits and works in a law firm.”

“Nah,” Phil decides. “We could just save that fantasy for another time.”

Dan scoffs. “I knew you had a suit kink.”

Phil doesn’t push it further, telling Dan everything he needs to know. “You know we’re spending the rest of the day watching films and cuddling, yes?”

“Why do you think I came, Mr. Life Advice.”

Phil gives him wet kisses all over his pretty face. “Good. Just checking.”


End file.
